Datagrove

Datagrove

HOW CAN WE BEGIN TO USE TECHNOLOGY, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THE INTERNET TO AFFECT HOW WE LIVE, WORK, COMMUNICATE AND PLAY?

Datagrove was a commissioned installation for the ZERO1 "Seeking Silicon Valley" 2012 Biennial. For three months it was located in the courtyard of the historic California Theater (home of the San Jose Opera). The Datagrove thrives on information from its urban environment. It renders invisible data and atmospheric phenomena into variable intensities of light and sound. It provides shelter and a place of calm to contemplate data streams from sources near and far. The grove’s luminescent fibers gently sway with the breeze and respond to the proximity of visitors with quiet whispering sonic undulations. It aggregates local trending Twitter feeds from San Jose and then whispers these back through speakers and LCDs displays woven into the Datagrove. It functions as a social media "whispering wall" that harnesses data that is normally nested and hidden in smart phones, and amplifies this discourse into the public realm.

Datagrove was produced using advanced digital fabrication techniques and integrates a range of custom electronics including sensors, text to speech modules, LEDS and LCDS. The installation is capable of sensing and responding to people in its immediate proximity.